Road-grader



C. P. MILLER.

ROAD GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1919.

1,354,264. Patented Sept. 28,1920.

. 3SHEETSSHEET 1.

(I. P. MILLER.

ROAD GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1919.

1,354,264. PatentedSept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C, P. MILLER.

ROAD GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1919.

1,354,264. PatentedSept. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

r| r"'l E E I I k I 1 E c I K hrerzf'on- ,7// 0m gas;

CARL r. MILLER, or FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

' RoAn-eRAnn Specification-of Letters Patent. Patented Se t 28 192() Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,368.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL P. MILLER, a citizen of he United States, residing at Fargo, in the county of Cass and Stateof North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Road-Grraders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved road grader and has as one of its principal obj ects to provide a device of this character employing companion scraper blades and wherein the blades may be adjusted with respect to each other either for throwing earth toward the center of a road or away from the road center.

The invention has as a further object to provide a grader wherein the blades may be simultaneously elevated 'without affecting theirangular relation with respect to each other and wherein the blades may be simultaneously lowered and pressure brought to bear thereon.

A. still further object of the invention is to provide a grader wherein the blades may be simultaneously tilted in a vertical plane so that corresponding ends of the blades may be either raised or lowered.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a grader which will be substantial and durable and which may be operated with facility.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the grader,

2 is a plan view of the device,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the mounting of the blades,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5+5 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing the locking mechanism employed in connection with one of the blade shifting shafts of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I employ a front axle 10 and a rear axle 11 and mounted upon these axles are suitable supporting wheels. The front axle 10 carries a yoke 12 whilethe rear axle carries a yoke 13 which stands somewhat higher than the front yoke. Upon the front respect to the posts.

yoke is mounted an inverted yoke or bolster 14, the arms of which are provided at their upper ends with laterally and outwardly directed lugs to which is secured a cross bar' 15. Extending through this bar, the yoke 14, and the yoke 12, is a king bolt 16, the front wheels, of course, being thus adapted to swing about the axis of this bolt. Connected at its rear end to the said bolt is a plate 17 which rests upon the bar 15 and also connected to the boltis a plate 18 which rests upon the bight ofthe yoke 14. The plate 17 is bent to extend toward the plate 18 and their forward portions extend in parallel relation to constitute a clevis for receiving a tongue or for connecting the grader with a tractor. Connecting the front portions of the plates is a bolt 19 which is also engaged through braces 20 extending between the bolt and the end portions of the yoke 12.

Extending between the yoke 13 and the bolster 14 are spaced horizontal frame bars or sills 21 lying in parallel relation and bolted at their forward ends to the bar 15 while at their rear ends said sills are secured directly to the yoke 13. Upstanding from these sills adjacent the rear ends thereof are spaced parallel posts 22 and secured beneath the posts to the lower sides of the sills 21 is a cross bar 23. A similar cross bar 24: extends between the posts adjacent their upper ends, this cross bar being removably held in position by suitable cotter pins. Slidable vertically upon the posts is a transverse elevating bar 25. As particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, this elevating bar is constructed of reversely presented angle plates lying at opposite sides of the posts and disposed between the plates are spacing strips 26 through which are engaged fastening devices securing the strips and plates together. At their ends, the strips 26 closely confront the inner vertical edges of the posts for thus holding the bar against longitudinal movement with Fixed between the angle plates of the bar adjacent the outer ends thereof are, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, blocks 27 and threaded through these blocks are vertical screw shafts 28 swiveled at their lower ends upon the ends of the cross bar 23 while the upper ends of said shafts are freely received through the ends of the cross bar 24. The'cross bars will thus effectively support said shafts which are provided at their upper ends -with hand wheels 29.

"Engaged with thearms of the bolster 14 are loops 30 and freely connected with these loops are arms or rods' 31' extending '1"ear.-..

wardly and provided at their free ends with laterally and downwardly directed terminal- These arms carry companion scraper blade's82 to the lower longitudinaledges of which are securedblade plates 33.

portions.

Mounted upon the rear sides of the blades at points substantially midway between the ends-thereof are, as particularly shown in Fig. 4, bearings 34 through which the lateral terminal portions of-the arms 31 are freely received, cotter pinsor otherappropriate fastening devices engaged through the ends of the arms, detachablysecuring the blLClGSlIl position thereon. 'In this connection itshould be observed that the connection between the arms and the blades is such that the blades may be turned each about a vertical axis and may also be rocked longitudinally in a vertical plane.

bearings are provided with apertured lugs projecting at the rearthereof and engaging The said lugs are rods pivotally secured at :their upper ends to the ends ofthe elevating bar These rods thus provide an operative connection between the elevatin'gbar and the blades.

Extending rearwardly from the blades are brace'rods 36 which are,- as also shown in Fig. 4, pivotally connected at' their front ends with the bearings 34 while, at their rear ends, the'rods freely engaged with" loops 37 on the side whirh is swiveled a seat 39. Thus, an op erator riding on this seat'may easily manipulate both of the wheels.

;l*reely mounted atits forward end upon the king bolt 16 IS a center beam 40 which is preferably constructed from a metallic bar looped around thebolt and having its side portions extending in parallel relation.

Fixed between the side portions of thebeam adjacent the rear end thereof is a spacer block 41 and threaded through thisblock isan elevating shaft .42 for the beam.

As p ar'ticula'rly shown in Fig. 1, the upper end portion of the shaft is freely received through the yoke13 as well as through a spacing sleevedS resting upon said yoke and fixed upon the upper end of the shaft is a handjwheel 4A. Extending transversely throughthe'beam adjacent its rear end is a horizontal shaft 45 to one end of which is g connccted a hand wheel 46 and mounted upon the shaft between the side portions of wardl'y therecver.

thebeam is a pullcy 47; smaller Pulley t8'is mounted between the side portions of the beam adjacent the. forward end thereof and trained over these pulleys is a chain or otherapprOVed flexible element e9.) Slidable longitudinally upon the beam is asleeve or' carrier 50 through which is en gaged an eye bolt 51 received between the sideportions of the beam. At its lower end thisbolt freely carries a ring 52 which,.in turn, is freely engaged through'ears 53 secured to the inner ends of the scraper blades attheirupper margins and projecting for- The ring 52 will thus connect the. blades attheir innerv ends as well as also connect the blades. with the carrier "50 Freely fitted upon the lower end of the bolt beneaththecarrier are plates 5% to which are. respectively connected the ends of the chain 49. Thus, it will be clear that the hand wheel 16 may be operated for shifting thecarrier 5 0 along. the beam 40 and simultaneously adjusting the angular position of the blades. In .the drawings, 1 have shown the; blades adjusted to incline inwardly and rearwardly for throwing the earth toward the center of'a roadway, the carrier50fbeing positioned in a plane behind the plane'of, the pivotal centers of the blades. However, as will at once be appreciated, by shifting the carrier 50 forwardly along the beam 40 toa position in front of the plane of the pivotal centers of the blades, the inclination of the blades may be reversed .when the blades-will incline outwardly and rearwardly for throwing the earth from the center of the roadway to the sides thereof. Any intermediate position of adjustment of the blades may also, of course, be had. For locking the blades in adjusted position I provide a ratchet wheel 55 having reversely formed ratchet teeth and mounted to coast with eachseries of teeth is a pawl 56, one pawl being adapted to lock the 'shaftagainst rotation in'one direction whileltheother pawl is adapted to lock the-shaft site direction.

Extending rearwardly' from the rear axle 11 isa substantially U-shaped frame 57 supported by braces 58 extending between the frame and'the side portions of the yoke 13. Mounted'upon thefrarne is a'platform 59. This platform is provided so that an operator. may stand thereon and. manipulate the hand wheel 44:. By rotating this wheel in one direction, the rear end of the center beam L0 will be raised to in turn elevate the inner ends of the scraper blades. :TllllS, the blades may be'tilted longitudinally in a vertical plane for'causing the outer end portions of the blades to-bite into the ground. Onthe other hand, by rotating the hand wheeled in the opposite direction, the inner ends of the blades may be lowered for causagainst rotation in the oppo- Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A grading machine including a frame, companion blades freely connected therewith, a rock beam carried by the frame, means connecting corresponding end portions of the blades with said beam, and means for rocking said beam whereby to tilt the blades longitudinally.

2. A grading machine including a frame, companion blades freely connected therewith, a pivoted beam, means connecting corresponding end portions of the blades with said beam, and means coacting with one end portion of the beam for swinging said beam whereby to tilt the blades longitudinally.

3. A grading machine including a frame,

, companion blades freely connected therewith, a pivoted beam, means carried by the beam and coupled with corresponding end portions of the blades for swinging the blades horizontally, and means coacting with one end portion of the beam for pivoting the beam whereby to tilt the blades longitudinally.

4. A grading machine including a frame,

arms ivoted u on the frame com anion.

blades freely connected intermediate their ends to saldarms, a loose connectlon between the inner adjacent ends'of the blades, an elevating bar, means coupling the bar with said blades intermediate the ends of the blades, and means for shifting the bar vertically to elevate or lower the blades.

6. A grading machine including a frame, arms freely connected therewith, companion blades freely mounted intermediate their ends upon said arms, a loose connection between the inner adjacent ends of the blades, posts rising from the'frame at opposite sides of the center thereof, an elevating bar slidable vertically upon said posts, coupling means between the bar and the blades, and means for adjustably positioning the bar vertically upon the posts whereby to raise or lower the blades.

7. A grading machine including a frame, arms pivotally connected with the frame, companion blades freely mounted intermediate their ends upon said arms, means coupled with the blades for raising or lowering the blades, a carrier on the frame, means for loosely connecting the inner adjacent ends of the blades with each other and with the carrier, and means for shifting the carrier longitudinally of the frame whereby to rotate the blades upon the arms and vary the angular relation of the blades.

8. A grading machine including a frame, arms pivotally connected with the frame, companion blades freely mounted upon said arms, means coupled with the blades for elevating or lowering the blades, means for rotating the blades upon the arms to posisition the blades in angular relation to each other, and means connected to corresponding end portions of the blades for rocking the blades upon the arms and tilting the blades longitudinally.

9. A grading machine including a frame, arms freely connected therewith, companion blades carried by said arms, and means connected with corresponding ends of the blades for swinging the blades horizontally and movable to position the blades inclining inwardly toward each other or position the blades inclining outwardly away from each other.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

CARL P. MILLER. [n s.] 

